Letter from Clarence Williams to Gretchen Williams, June 21, 1945

I have a few minutes before going for our evening chow so decided to start your letter now and will finish when I return. We leave Personnel at five and don’t eat until six so that gives us time to come over to the house and have a beer first. The boys have several kegs of beer on hand so should have enough to last for quite some time. Also got liquor rations today (3 bottles for ten of us) so will probably have a couple tonite. I havn’t had anything but a few glasses of beer for a long time now. I don’t care much for their liquor over here however today is George’s wedding anniversary and tomorrow is Sol’s so think we will have to drink to them tonite.

Well I just got back so will continue with my letter. After supper, Pappy and I went to the show. We saw “My Gal Loves Music” which I had previously seen at Schwaz and which was terrible. We came on home and the boys were having a few so I joined them for a couple drinks. There is also a couple boys here from Div Hq to help along the celebration. I am sitting here writing you and eating that Lummis Krispy Krunch peanut candy and it surely tastes wonderful. Honey, I am   happy it wasn’t peanut butter because this really tastes much better to me and we get peanut butter quite often at chow.

I forgot to mention, our mess hall is right downtown in a hotel dining room and needless to say all the walls are decorated with insignia in the good old Rainbow fashion. It is almost three blocks from our house so we have quite a a walk each morning before breakfast.

I just took time out again. Took a couple of the boxes of cheese you sent me and the box of crackers in and we feasted. Sol opened some tunafish also and everything was delicious. Honey this cheese was wonderful, it was so nice and moist and it surely hit the spot. I think the one I received some time ago that was spoiled must have been old when they sold it to you. Tonite I opened one Bavarian Spread and one Old Smokey and they couldn’t have been better. Who ever thought I would be eating Bavarian Spread in Bavaria.

Perhaps you have already seen it in the papers but we just found out in the Stars & Stripes tonight that the 42nd and the 65th Divisions are to occupy Austria. For how long a time we do not know but I’m hoping it won’t be for long. Naturally I prefer   this to the Pacific but would almost be willing to even go there just to be able to spend 30 whole days with you. I don’t know how this new order will affect the Medical Bn as they certainly won’t need all the Medics we have in occupation, however I suppose we will know before long. I think perhaps it was a break for me coming back to Personnel because the S & S also states 405’s (clerk-typists) and 213 (Stenos) are considered essential. I will now be carried as an 055-clerk general. I understand I will be doing mostly filing (Dewey Decimal System) and some typing which includes cutting Special Orders for the Bn. The past two days I have done practically nothing but get acquainted with the files. Another good feature, there is shower in our building and we had one this afternoon. We can take them every other day and Sunday Morning which is pretty swell. Work in general at Personnel now is very light and I hope it continues so until I get better acquainted with same.

Well honey I guess thats about all the news for today so bye for now until tomorrow.

I am inclosing some pictures of Kufstein, its really a pretty little town. The old castle (over 800 yrs old) is the outstanding landmark of the city and it can be seen for miles up and down the valley from either side. It is located in the center of the town and the nob it sits on is solid rock. Also note the crucifix along side the little road. Those are very common over over here, also in Germany and can be found along every road.